WHIPPET
| If it were necessary to qualify the whippet in a few words, it would be: elegant, athletic, intelligent, affectionate, calm and quiet.
He is as well appropriate for the sportsmen, as the people seeking an affectionate companion. The whippet is easy to educate, and reasonably
obeying, as long as the owner has a normal and liking behavior with him. |
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The
whippet is except for the Italian Greyhound the smallest of the
sighthounds. The whippet is an affectionate and intelligent dog. A
whippet has a great understanding, is smart and loves being part of the
familiy. They are not to be kept in kennels. Whippets enjoy doing all
kind of things with the familiy. You can take them on holiday, or for a
walk in the country, and they are excellent sporting dogs (show,
coursing, racing, agility). Whippets are not aggressive, even barking is
an exception. It is notable that on events, with sometimes over a
hundred sighthounds, there is no barking and no fighting.
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| Sporting
with your whippet is great fun. The way to succes is a good relationship
with your dog. Of course training and the right nutrition are also
important. The whippet does not need much care. They like to keep
themselves clean and do not smell. Having a thin coat they are more
temperature sensitive than thick hairy breeds. In winter and with icy
cold rain our whippets wear a nice, warm fleece. They like to sleep
under a blanket. |
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Being
a sighthound the whippet will react on everything that moves. Even a
fluttering piece of plastic or paper. Never let a whippet run free near
traffic or barbed wire. The whippet for this reason is not suitable to
be walked by small children.
Daily
exercise is required tot keep your dog in a healthy condition. With a
proper feeding, a good condition and a happy family life the whippet can
live to high age. |
The
development of the breed cannot be proved with certitude. What we do
know is that since early ages (Roman and Greek civilization) pictures
and images have been found of medium sized sight hounds, that as far as
size,shape and stance were concerned, looked like Whippets.
The Whippet, as we know it today, finds his origin in the second half of
the 19th century when Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds and different kinds
of Terriers were interbred. The breed was recognized in his country of
origin in 1890 by the English Kennelclub.
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Pet
and hunter's companion
Whippets,
in those days, were mainly bred and kept by English miners who went
poaching with their dogs in order to supplement their somewhat scanty
provisions. It were those miners in fact who recognized the Whippet as a
nice pet as well as a good hunter's companion.
Soon, so called 'rag races' and coursings were organized for Whippets
too.
'Rag racing' was purely done for speed by which the owners waved a rag
at the end of the track. Helpers unleashed the dogs, that ran towards
the waving rag at full speed. Besides poaching they did coursing in a
fenced area where hares, who were given a lead, were set free, so that
the Whippets could chase after them. Soon people started to protest
against this way of sport. Coursings are still organized but now the
prey is a lure.
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Standard
F.C.I. N°162
WHIPPET
ORIGIN : Great
Britain.
PUBLICATION DATE OF THE STANDARD :
24.06.1987.
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GENERAL
APPEARANCE
A
balanced combination of muscular power and strength, elegance and graceful
outlines. Fast and efficient.
All forms of exaggeration should be avoided.
CHARACTERISTICS
An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings.
TEMPERAMENT
Gentle, affectionate, even disposition.
HEAD AND SKULL
Long and lean, tapering to the muzzle. Flat on top, rather wide
between the eyes, with slight stop. The jaws powerful
and clean cut. Nose black, in blues a nose of a bluish color, in livers a
nose of the coat color, and in whites or
parti-colors a butterfly nose is permitted.
JAWS / TEETH / BITE
The jaws are powerful and clean cut. A regular and complete
scissor bite, i.e. the front teeth in the lower jaw are
slightly touching the backside of the front teeth in the top jaw.
EYES
Oval, bright, expression very alert.
EARS
Rose-shaped, small, fine in texture.
NECK
Long, muscular, elegantly arched.
FOREQUARTERS
Forelegs straight, pasterns strong with slight spring, elbows well
set under the body, front not too wide. Shoulders
oblique and muscular, blades carried up to the spine, where they are
clearly defined.
BODY
Chest very deep with plenty of room for the heart. Brisket deep
and well defined, ribs well sprung. Back broad, firm, muscled, somewhat
long, loin giving the impression of strength, showing definite arch over
loin but not humped.
HINDQUARTERS
Strong, broad across thighs, stifles well bent, well developed
second thighs, hocks well let down, dog stands over
a lot of ground and shows great driving power.
FEET
Very neat, knuckles well arched, well split up between the toes;
pads thick and strong.
TAIL
Long, tapering, no feathering. When in action carried in a
delicate curve upward but not over back.
MOVEMENT
Free, true coming and going. Not stilted, high stepping, short or
mincing. Hind legs should come well under the
body giving great propelling power. Forelegs thrown well forward low over
the ground.
COAT
Fine, short, close in texture.
COLOR
Any color or mixture of colors.
SIZE
Height:
Dogs 47-51 cm
Bitches 44-47 cm
FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a
fault and the
seriousness of the fault should be in exact proportion to its degree.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
Aggressivity and pathologic features are disqualifying faults.
NOTE
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum.
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